The ultra-consistent and versatile California-bred The Chosen Vron, a winner of three-straight stakes for trainer Eric Kruljac, will try and keep the good times rolling as the 4-5 favorite in Saturday's $150,000 Don Valpredo California Cup Sprint for state-breds 4-year-olds and up at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Calif.
The Chosen Vron on Wednesday was entered for both the Cal Cup Sprint going six furlongs on dirt and the $200,000 Unusual Heat Turf Classic going 1 1/8 miles on turf. On Thursday morning, Kruljac confirmed the 5-year-old Vronsky gelding would go in the Sprint, which sets up an intriguing rematch with the speedy Big City Lights for Hall of Fame trainer Richard Mandella.
“I think the sprint is the tougher race on paper, but it's what he's most familiar with,” Kruljac said.
Last month at Del Mar, The Chosen Vron and multiple-stakes winner Big City Lights squared-off in the restricted Cary Grant Stakes going seven furlongs at Del Mar. Big City Lights showed the way through fractions of 22.2 and 44.6 seconds as the 6-5 second choice, but in the stretch drive, even-money favorite The Chosen Vron surged past the leader under Hector Berrios and won going away by 3 ½ lengths. He earned a career-high 102 Beyer Speed Figure, which is also the highest for any entrant in the Sprint.
The Cary Grant was the third-straight win for The Chosen Vron, all in state-bred stakes, and the eighth overall in 12 starts. Previously, The Chosen Vron won the E.B Johnston going a mile on dirt at Los Alamitos on Sept. 17 and the California Flag going about 6 ½ furlongs on the hillside turf course at Santa Anita a month later.
“His versatility and ability to adapt to different situations has just been incredible,” Kruljac said.
The Chosen Vron's seven overall stakes wins include two in the graded ranks, both coming in 2021 at Santa Anita in the Grade 3 Lazaro Barrera and G3 Affirmed. The current win streak has pushed The Chosen Vron's earnings to $522,678 for an ownership group that includes Kruljac, Sondereker Racing, Robert S. Fetkin and Richard Thornburgh.
“He was amazing,” Kruljac said of the gelding's lucrative fall campaign. “Probably the highlight of my career.”
Interestingly, The Chosen Vron has never raced the Cal Cup Sprint distance of six furlongs on dirt. He's also never run on an off track, which is possible for Saturday given the heavy rain that has hit Arcadia this week.
Kruljac said he was not particularly concerned with the conditions or distance, noting: “He'll be running at the end.”
The Cal Cup Sprint goes as the opener of Saturday's 10-race card, which kicks off at 12 p.m. Pacific.
“It should be a good race to start Cal Cup day and we better have our running shoes on,” Kruljac said. “(Mandella's) horse has every right to improve, I have all the respect in the world for that horse, but you got to worry about them all.”
In addition to the aforementioned Sprint and Turf, other stakes on Saturday's card are the $200,000 California Cup Derby at 1 1/16 miles on dirt, $200,000 California Cup Oaks at a mile on turf and $150,000 Sunshine Millions Filly & Mare Turf Sprint at about 6 ½ furlongs on the hillside turf course.
The post ‘We Better Have Our Running Shoes On’: The Chosen Vron Aims For Fourth Straight Stakes Win In Cal Cup Sprint appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
